Rafael Nadal is a 22-time Major champion. Ever since the Spaniard won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garris in 2005, he has been one of the players to watch out at the biggest stage every year.
When it comes to number of matches at Majors, Nadal has played 357 of them and won 314 times. Many a times, he has come back from really dire situations to end up on the winning side. Three of those happened when he was on the verge of elimination after losing the first two sets.
READ | How many five-set matches has Rafael Nadal played at French Open?
Here are the three instances when Nadal came from two-sets-to-love down to win a Grand Slam match:-
Wimbledon 2006, Round of 64 - Rafael Nadal beat USA’s Robert Kendrick 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4
Nadal in action against USA’s Robert Kendrick during Wimbledon Tennis Championships on June 29, 2006. | Photo Credit: AFP
The first time Nadal lost the opening two sets in a Grand Slam match was against USA’s Robert Kendrick in the second round of Wimbledon in 2006. World No. 237 Kendrick was on his way to defeating then then World No. 2 Nadal after leading 7-6(4), 6-3 but the Spaniard clinched the third set in the tiebreak and completed the comeback by winning the next two 7-5 and 6-4. Nadal eventually lost to Roger Federer in the final of that edition.
Wimbledon 2007, Round of 16 - Rafael Nadal beat Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Nadal returns the ball to Russian Mikhail Youzhny during the 4th round at Wimbledon on July 5, 2007. | Photo Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS
A year after a scare against Kendrick, Nadal again trailed by two-sets-to-love at the grass Major - this time against Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny, the then World No. 13, in the fourth round. However, unlike the match against the American, Nadal won the final three sets fairly easily. Like 2006, Nadal yet again lost to Federer in the summit clash.
Australian Open 2022, Final - Rafael Nadal beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
Nadal’s third and most recent comeback from two-sets-to-love down came in the final of the Australian Open in 2022. The Spaniard, who had sat out the second half of the previous season with a foot injury, went on an incredible run to reach the summit clash in Melbourne. It was turning out to be anything but a fairytale when he lost the opening two sets against Daniil Medvedev. He even fell 0-40 down while serving at 2-3 in the third set.
However, the Spaniard fought back incredibly to take the third and fourth sets with an identical score of 6-4. Nadal served for the title at 5-4 in the fifth but the Russian broke back. Nadal recovered from that blip and restored his advantage by breaking Medvedev in the very next game and this time, served for the title successfully.
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